The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, has said he has secured the approval of President Bola Tinubu for the recruitment of 30,000 policemen yearly.
Egbetokun made this known during a working visit to Adamawa State on Tuesday.
The previous administration headed by former President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen yearly. The new approval will triple the number of cops recruited in the country each year.
The IGP explained that complaints that police officers are overworked will become a thing of the past once the new approval is effected.
The police boss said, “I know that as at today in Nigeria, one policeman does the job of two to three officers, I know how you are being over burdened.
” When we joined the police, what we met was three shift, morning, afternoon and night shifts. But as years went by, it became two shifts, morning and night. In some places you can even work 24 hours.
“When I was area commander in Osogbo, I have policemen who worked round the clock for a whole week, because as they are closing from morning duty, they are resuming night duty and vice versa.
“And when members of the public see them sleeping in public, they will video them, ridicule them and their organisation. So, I am aware of the stress that you go through as a result of lack of manpower.
“When I became the Inspector General of Police, the first thing I did was to attend to the issue of manpower. The previous Federal Government approved 10,000 yearly recruitment into the police, but with this new administration, I have been able to get the approval of Mr president to recruit 30,000 for the next four years. I know that once we give effect to this approval, the issue of manpower will be a thing of the past.”
Egbetokun also assured officers that the police will soon start awards for gallantry, noting that only through this means can anyone get a special promotion, going forward.
He further emphasised that promotion will now be merit-based across all cadres.